WEST LONG BRANCH - Monmouth University has suspended all fraternities and sororities until further notice, citing the Greek community's inadequate response to "serious conduct violations," the Asbury Park Press has learned.

All non-educational activities sponsored by Monmouth's seven fraternities and nine sororities have been canceled, including pledging and recruitment efforts, parties, and community service events.

In a letter sent Thursday morning to students and employees, Monmouth University President Grey J. Dimenna made reference to unspecified troubles within the fraternity system at large as well as at Monmouth.

Monmouth's announcement came a day after a settlement was reached between Beta Theta Pi and the Hunterdon County family of Tim Piazza, a Penn State freshman who died last year after being severely injured and neglected by his peers during an alcohol-fueled hazing ritual at the fraternity house.

Doctors concluded Piazza suffered from multiple traumatic brain injuries, as well as a fractured skull and a lacerated spleen. Piazza's suffering — and the conduct of his fraternity brothers — were recorded on security camera.

Ryan Burke, the first fraternity brother to plead guilty for his role in Piazza's death, avoided jail time at his sentencing in July. Instead, he was sentenced to three months of house arrest, 27 months of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine.

In his letter to the Monmouth University community, Dimenna said the suspension is a "proactive" move aimed at preventing another tragedy.

Monmouth University has no recognized fraternity or sorority houses, on or off campus.

Dimenna noted that he and Vice President Mary Anne Nagy met in May with leaders of the Greek Senate, which is comprised of current Monmouth students who are members of fraternities or sororities. They met with the students to discuss "serious conduct violations that have occurred within the community including hazing, alcohol and drug use, and lack of academic focus."

"We discussed the need for the Greeks to hold each other accountable for the negative culture that is casting a long shadow over Greek life at Monmouth, and potentially endangering our students," Dimenna wrote.

Dimenna directed the Greek Senate to change that culture, and to submit a preliminary plan by Aug. 15, with a final plan due Oct. 15.

"This plan was to be their plan, not ours, to ensure that every fraternity and sorority is committed to the improvement of their community." Dimenna stated.

But he said the Greek Senate's draft plan "fell short of our expectations," prompting the suspension.

Dimenna has been president of Monmouth since Feb. 28, 2017.

In response to a reporter's inquiry, Nagy emailed a follow-up statement Thursday that read, in part, "Until we are presented (with) a concrete plan that sets forth policies and practices that change the current culture, this suspension will remain in effect. For true change to take place, the solutions must come with community buy-in from within the organizations — not as top-down mandates."

The university provided no further details on the behavior that prompted the meeting with the Greek Senate, or on how the Greek Senate's plan fell short.

CLOSE

Students reacted to Thursday to Monmouth University's decision to indefinitely suspend all fraternities and sororities.
Andrew Goudsward, Asbury Park Press

On Monmouth's campus Thursday, reaction to the suspension was mixed. Several students questioned the need for a blanket halt to Greek life and many were skeptical that the suspension would achieve its desired aims. You can see two students' reactions to the move in the above video.

Freshman Emily Villagran, 18, said she planned to try to join a sorority in the spring, allured by the strong bond and feeling of "sisterhood" that comes with membership in a Greek organization. She said many first-year students arrived on campus with hopes of joining a fraternity or sorority, but with Dimenna's announcement, those hopes were dashed.

"I think a lot of people are angry right now," she said. "It’s definitely putting a halt to our experience and it’s a little weird. We’re new so it’s a little confusing why all this is happening."

Junior Liany Rodriguez, 20, a member of multicultural Greek organization, said she understands the university's rationale for the suspension, but said the punishment should have been applied only to chapters known to have systemic issues with misconduct and not all fraternities and sororities.

In recent years, Monmouth University has largely avoided the type of headline-grabbing incidents involving fraternities and sororities that have rattled other campus around the country. But the university noted on its Greek life website that three fraternities have recently been kicked off campus by their national offices.

"Nothing has really gotten that bad here, but I guess that’s what they’re trying to prevent," she said. "This suspension is not going to impact anything. I feel like everything is just going to remain the same."

But senior Taylor Puzzio welcomed the move, saying potentially dangerous behaviors like hazing needed to be removed from campus life. She said the suspension should remain in place until Greek life leaders "actually crack down and try to treat people better."

MORE UNIVERSITY NEWS

A grand jury's report in the wake of the death of 19-year-old Tim Piazza in February says Penn State officials displayed 'a shocking apathy' to dangers from excessive drinking and that its inaction allowed criminal acts to occur. (Dec. 15)
AP